An Apple a Day
by The Reader is Now Blind
Summary: AU. V/H When Hitomi, the famous olympic track star, gets sick, it's up to Doctor, I mean, NURSE Van to take care of her. But will their relationship just what the doctor ordered?
1. You know an apple a day

This was going to be a quick little one shot, but it grew and took over. I don't own Escaflowne.  
  


**An Apple A Day**

  
  
"Ukawri, em fiene. Em not dat shick. Wreally," Hitomi complained, bundled up with a blanket in the front passenger seat of her best friend's car. Without taking her eyes off the road, Yukari clicked her tongue and laughed haughtily, "Ha, I'll believe that as soon as you can pronounce a single sentence correctly. I mean, seriously Hitomi, as both as your friend and your manager, I should be the first to know that you've had a constant hundred degree temperature for five days, coughing and wheezing fits, not to mention whatever other conditions you've been hiding from me."  
  
Before Hitomi could retort, she let out a gigantic sneeze, spraying the inside of the windshield and dashboard. "Oh, Ukawri, em so sworry..."  
  
Grimacing slightly at the sight, Yukari sighed and shrugged nonchalantly. "That's okay. Just remind me to send you a cleaning bill when you're feeling better."  
  


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Though she nodded to everything the doctor said, his words soon began to drone on in Hitomi's ears, trickling into a low murmur until she was tapped lightly on the shoulder, "Ms. Kanzaki, we need to keep under observation for at least overnight due to your medical history. Do you understand?"  
  
Hitomi nodded weakly, to which the doctor stood up and replied, "Good. Now, I'll leave you to get settled, and order you a sponge bath as well. I'll check up on you later."  
  
"I never knew you were allergic to some many medicines. Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Penicillin, Benadryl..." Yukari commented, counting off her fingers as she looked at the chart. Hitomi smiled as she changed into the hospital gown. "It's a curse really. That's why I led a sheltered and disinfected childhood; my parents were so afraid I would catch the flu and be bedridden for a month. Guess they never figured I would grow up healthy and be an Olympic sprinter, huh?"  
  
Yukari giggled and leaned against the door. "Speaking of your parents, you want me to call them and tell them where you're at? At least I can say that you can speak normally again."  
  
"Yeah, but who knows for how long?" Hitomi dryly commented, reaching behind her for the strings of her gown. "Before you go Yukari, can you tie up the middle one? I can't reach it."  
  
But Yukari had already gone, leaving Hitomi to fend for herself. As she tried to think of a way to do it herself without breaking her neck, Hitomi heard a knock on the door, followed by a muffled voice announcing, "Nurse. I'm here for your sponge bath. May I come in?"  
  
"Yes, of course! Thank goodness you came; do you mind tying me up? I can't reach," Hitomi asked, facing the window as the nurse tied the gown with tight, strong knots. Hitomi sighed in relief as she turned, about to thank the nurse profusely...  
  
...until she was face to face to a raven-haired young man. "Who-Who are you?! Why are you in my room?!"  
  
Grinning, the man pointed to his hospital badge. "Well, I'm Van Fanel, responding to a call from a patient."  
  
Hitomi's eyes widened as she struggled to speak. "You're a nurse?! But...but you're a...a..."  
  
"Guy?" Van suggested, winking as her as she sat on her bed in disbelief. "I guess you didn't know. Welcome to the 21st century, where women can rise to business and men can put on the apron for once."  
  
Not in the mood for humor, Hitomi remarked sarcastically, "Ha ha. Vwery fwunny."  
  
"No, you're wrong. That Elmer Fudd bit you got going is much more hilarious."  
  
"Dat's mean, I con't hwelp it dat it gwoes owff and on," Hitomi complained, ducking her head under the thin hospital sheets. The man was infuriating her greatly, and yet she couldn't help but feel slightly attracted to him. _You really are sick if you like this jerk,_ Hitomi thought to herself with a blush until Van pulled back the covers. "C'mon, say 'Be vwery vwery quiet' just once. Please?"  
  
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Hitomi did neither as she seethed, "No, I will not. I want you to leave now, and a **FEMALE** nurse to come instead."  
  
Suddenly Van's expression hardened, causing Hitomi to cower slightly. "Listen, I'll stop treating you like I do with all my patients, which I might add, have no problem with my way of running things, but I wouldn't hold against you. However, as of the moment, we are understaffed due to a serious ten car pile up that just came in. If you want to wait for an available female nurse to give you something as trivial as a sponge bath, be my guest. But I'm just going to warn you that I'm your best bet right now. So, do you want my help or not?"  
  
Van's cold glare burnt into her memory, Hitomi agreed meekly. Van immediately brightened, moving to retrieve the cart he had brought in with him. "Great. Now lay back and relax. I promise I won't look."  
  
Shivering slightly at the feeling of the sponge, Hitomi closed her eyes, too embarrassed to watch. First he started around her neck, then her arms, and made her turn around to get her back, all with the gentlest of moves. Then she felt him hesitate and mumble something about needing to get her front. He slipped her hand through the back of her gown to wipe down her flat stomach, and then up the middle of her chest. His hand slipped, and their skin touched, making them both jump. Van removed his hand quickly, and now with her eyes open Hitomi could she that his cheeks were red as hers probably were. "Ah, sorry...I need to go now...I'll send a female nurse next time..."  
  
Hitomi could just stare at her bed as he left, her cheeks burning brightly. As soon as he left though, she turned on her stomach and screamed into her pillow in frustration.  
  
"Hitomi, what's wrong?" Yukari asked rushing to her friend's side. "I saw a weird guy leaving your room; who was he? Did he do anything to you?"  
  
"No, no, I'm okay. He was the nurse, and he just came here to give me a sponge bath..."  
  
"WHAT?! THAT PERVERT!" Yukari interrupted, grabbing Hitomi's hand. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he'll never do that to you, or to any other unsuspecting woman, again!"  
  
Something in Hitomi snapped at the thought of never seeing Van anymore. "No, Yukari, don't do that! There was no else to do it because they were all busy, and he was gracious enough to come down. It wasn't that bad; he didn't actually physically touch me, except for once, and that was an accident. Please, just leave it be!"  
  
Yukari sighed, her shoulder slumped. "If you say so Hitomi. But if you change your mind, just tell me, and I'll kick his ass so fast...Anyways, your parents should be here soon, though your mom might be a little late picking your brother up for band practice. I informed your training coach that you'll be out a couple more days, and I've pushed back your meeting with the new sponsor until next week. Now, unless you need anything, I'm going to find some actual food."  
  
"Thanks Yukari," Hitomi called after her friend as she snuggled into her bed. She tried to sleep, but her skin still felt on fire from the encounter with Van, and whenever she closed her eyes, his own auburn ones stared right back at her. Hitomi tossed and turned, until she let out a snort. 'This is great. I like the guy."  
  


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"This is great! I like the girl!" Van exclaimed, changing into scrubs, talking animatedly to the female doctor next to him. She was about to respond when Van held up his hands in protest. "I know, I know. My actions were uncalled for, the hospital could get sued, blah blah. I know Millerna, I know."  
  
Millerna shook her head and chastised him. "That's just it Van, you don't know. Just because most women would injure themselves just to get your hands on them, what you did was personal violation. No matter how much you like her, she might not like you enough to prevent you from getting fired."  
  
Batting his eyelashes and putting on a dramatic air, Van teased, "Fired? But what would you all do with little old me not around? This place wouldn't survive without me."  
  
Hiding a smile, Millerna punched Van lightly in the arm. "Go wash your hands, you jerk."  
  


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Well, how was that? I was going to have an one page story, but then it got too long ^^;; Also, I have no friends or family in the medical area, and I don't watch shows like ER (except for sometimes Scrubs ^^;;) so sorry if my information is a little incorrect. Please review! 


	2. Won't keep my troubles away

Thank you to all that reviewed. *has a huge grin*  
  
**CinderellaxVan:** You know what's going on in this chappie before I even posted it. LOL, yes Van is sort of scary at some times.  
**Dariel:** Yes, Van is a jerk. But he's a lovable jerk.  
**Fushizen na:** I'll try ^^;;  
**Azure:** Hee hee, I just like saying spatula and imagine Van being hit with one...  
**Angel:** He didn't mean to physically touch her, his hand just slipped. Or at least that's what he claims... ;p  
**neithan02:** Sure, anything for a postive review! ^-^  
**van lover:** I'm going, I'm going! LOL  
  
Oh, by the way, I just wanted to clarify that this story take place in America, so please don't say they won't have that in Japan, blah blah. I know that. ;p  
  


**An Apple A Day**

  
  
"Hitomi? Can I come in, or do you never want to see me again? If it helps, I brought lunch."  
  
Hitomi's heart leapt in her chest at the sound of familiar voice. After that one "incident", Van had never came to visit her, and a big burly female nurse who had nearly scrubbed off all of Hitomi's skin during her sponge baths came instead. But today she was being discharged, so it didn't make sense for him to visit now. "It depends. Is it hospital food?"  
  
"And what is wrong with hospital food?" Van joked, setting a tray down on the side table. "Seriously, this is from the hospital café which serves better tasting food than you've had all week. It has to be, or a lot of us would've quit. How does a chicken salad sandwich sound? I also have tuna fish."  
  
"Chicken would be perfect," Hitomi affirmed, eagerly accepting the sandwich. As she bit down, she moaned in pleasure, and smiled at Van, who was now staring at her intensely. "What, did you want this? Or do I have something on my face?"  
  
Van blinked in confusion as he backed away from her slightly. "What? Oh, no, you're fine. I was just thinking on how wrong I was last time I was here. I'm sorry if I had...violated you in any way."  
  
Although she was shocked at Van's humble apology, Hitomi shook her head. "It's okay. I was making too big of a deal out of it anyways. Besides, there was that car accident. How is everybody?"  
  
"Most had minor injuries, except for one guy who didn't walk away from his car," Van explained in a somber tone, but allowed a small grin to creep onto his face. "But hopefully he'll walk away from the hospital soon."  
  
"That's good..," Hitomi murmured as she watched Van pick up a cup of jello with fruit pieces in the middle of it. "Is that all you're having?"  
  
Nodding, Van slurped the red gel through his lips. "Yeah, why not? It has fruit in it, especially apples. You know the old saying, 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'."  
  
"I see," Hitomi responded coyly. "What about certain male nurses?"  
  
"Oranges."  
  
"Oranges?"  
  
"I'm allergic," Van admitted as he continued to eat. Suddenly he stopped and tilted his head towards the ceiling. Hitomi was about to wonder what he was about to do when he spit red liquid up into the air and caught it in his mouth. "Ta da!"  
  
"Eww! That was so gross!" Hitomi managed to make out between giggles. Van smirked as he inched closer to poke her nose. "Yeah, but you laughed."  
  
The heat between them caused both to blush and look away. Finally Van offered, "Uh, Hitomi. I have a favor to ask of you."  
  
"Y-yes Van?" Hitomi stuttered, trying not to shake. Van glanced down on the floor as he mumbled, "I usually spend most of my time in the pediatric burn unit, and there's one girl in there, Lia Asok, who idolizes you. She has pictures and articles all around her bed of you, and was planning to train to become a track runner too when she was involved in a firecracker accident. I was wondering if would, I mean if you had the time to..."  
  
Hitomi clasped his hand in hers. "Of course Van I'll come. But I have just one question: if you knew who I was, why didn't you mention anything to me?"  
  
"If figured if you were as stuck up as most celebrities were, you would have told me yourself," Van rationalized, gazing into Hitomi's eyes. "Besides, at that moment, you were my patient, and my patient only."  
  


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After having to stop a few times for directions, and to sign autographs for fans who recognized her with her gold medal around her neck, Hitomi finally reached the pediatric burn unit. There was a woman with pink hair standing in front of it, looking in through the window. Hitomi cautiously tapped her on the shoulder, asking, "Excuse me, is Van Fanel in there right now?"  
  
The woman whirled around and grinned, offering her hand. "You must be Hitomi. I'm Merle. Van's told me a lot about you, and asked me to tell you about the procedures."  
  
"Procedures?" Hitomi repeated, slightly confused. Merle nodded as she leaned against the wall. "Yep. First off, we have to get you into scrubs and sanitized. I don't mean to be insulting or anything, but some of these kids still have wounds that can be infected by open air diseases."  
  
Hitomi grinned and pulled off her medal. "That's understandable. I probably have to sanitize this too."  
  
"Most likely. They all probably would want to touch it, especially Lia," Merle agreed, brushing her hair back to expose a deformed pointed ear. "Second, though most of them are used to it, it's best not stare. I'm not going to lie to you; some of them are going to look horrible, but try to look past that, because other people don't. It seems that the truly lucky ones are the ones that can hide the scars, like Van and myself."  
  
It felt like Merle had slapped Hitomi in the face. "Van? Van was in a fire?"  
  
Merle looked equally shocked as she straightened up. "Yeah you didn't know? He and his brother Folken were the only ones to survive a house fire that killed their parents. Folken lifted a burning beam off of Van's back, severely damaging his right arm so much it had to be amputated. They both recovered, but Folken couldn't take the stress, and jumped off the hospital roof, right as Van was being taken to the orphanage."  
  
Covering her mouth to stop the bile rising up in her throat, Hitomi gazed imploringly at Merle as she went on, "As for me, my mom abused alcohol a lot and me even more. She would curse at me and my father she didn't even know for ruining her life. She would just knock me around usually, until one night when I asked for a kitten to fend off the loneliness. She grabbed me by my hair in a drunken rage and dragged me to the stove. She turned on the burner and screamed, 'You want a cat so much? How about you just become one!' and pressed my ears down. That was the last straw; I ran away to a phone booth and called the police. She was arrested, and I was the child of the state. Van and I met each other at a foster home and been with each other ever since."  
  
"Merle, I'm..," Hitomi started before the woman stopped her. "It's okay, I'm over it. It wasn't your fault. Let's just change the subject shall we? If you go through this room, there's a locker with fresh scrubs in it, as well as a sink. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly, all the way up to your elbows. While you're doing that, I'll go inform Van that you're here."  
  
As she changed into the uniform, Hitomi's head swarmed with thoughts of what Merle had told her. As she cleaned her medal and her hands, she could feel the tears falling down her face. _Van, I'm so sorry. I didn't know..._  
  
"Hitomi? Are you ready?" Van called, standing in front of the door. Hitomi quickly wiped her eyes before Van could see, and faked a big grin. "Yes, I'm coming!"  
  
Van took her by the hand and they walked in to hear Merle announcing, "...I know you wanted Van to finish reading Charlotte's Web, but we have a special guest today..."  
  
One little girl, who Hitomi determined to be Lia, sat up in her bed and chatted animatedly. It's Hitomi Kanzaki! I can't believe it! I could die right happy right now."  
  
Gently pushing Lia back down on the bed, Merle cooed, "If you did that, none of us would appreciate it too much. You need to lay back down, or I'll have Hitomi leave."  
  
"No! Please tell me you're joking Merle!" Lia complained, lying back down on her pillows, her outburst making her breathe heavily. Hitomi smiled broadly at the strength of the little girl, who, despite having bandages covering the upper half of her body, could be any other child. "You must be Lia. It's very nice to meet you."  
  
Suddenly Lia went quiet, somewhat shy now that Hitomi talked to her. "Do...do you really mean that? You're not...not trying to be nice? You're not...upset by how I look?"  
  
Hitomi's heart broke at Lia's words, and she imagined Van going through the same thing when he was younger. "No, of course not. I hope you get better soon though. In fact, how about I leave my medal here, and once you recover, you can give it back to me. How's that?"  
  
Lia would have jumped for joy if Merle didn't stop her. "Really?! Thank you so much! I promise I'll give it back soon!"  
  
Hitomi spent a few more minutes, talking with all other children until Van declared, "Okay everybody, Hitomi has to go now, so say goodbye."  
  
There was a communal groan and chorus of farewells as Hitomi walked out with Van. She turned to him as soon as they were out of the room, watching Merle try to get them all calmed down. "I could've stayed longer, you know."  
  
"Are you kidding? Then Merle and I would never be able to get them to sleep," Van chuckled, shaking his head. He then grabbed Hitomi's hand and gave it a soft squeeze. "Thanks for letting Lia borrow your medal, but aren't you afraid of it being stolen?"  
  
"It's just a ceremonial one; the real one is in a safe box in a bank downtown, but you don't need to tell her that. The way she's clutching that one, I doubt anyone would try to steal it," Hitomi explained, watching Van out of the corner of her vision. _Van, do you realize the sadness in your eyes when you look at them? Most people would think it's pity, but now I know it's because you you've been what they're going through._  
  
"Hitomi?" Van started abruptly, disturbing Hitomi from her throats. "I want to thank you for today. I was wondering, I know this great little restaurant, and I'm off duty Friday night, so can I meet you there for dinner, say seven?"  
  
"It's a date," Hitomi consented before what words had just come out of her mouth. Not noticing Hitomi's embarrassment, Van grinned widely until his beeper went off. He looked down on it and groaned. "Hey, I gotta go, but I'll talk to you later."  
  
As Van jogged down the hallway, Hitomi crouched down against the wall. And despite herself, slowly began to smile.  
  


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The smell of spices and other delicious aromas infiltrated Hitomi's nose as soon as she walked into the Italian restaurant. The matron greeted her with a recited message, "Hello, welcome to Antonio's. Do you have a reservation?"  
  
"Uh, it should be under Fanel," Hitomi replied as she nervously watched the woman check the list. "Fanel, party of two, right? This way please."  
  
Hitomi was led to a small booth near the front window. The matron placed the menus on the table and declared, "Your waitress will be with you shortly."  
  
"Thank you," Hitomi muttered, sliding into her seat. She sighed audibly as she checked her watch. 6:50, so she was a little early. She was resisting the urge the extra time to go to the bathroom and touch up her makeup when the waitress came to the table. "Do you want anything to drink while you look at the menu?"  
  
"Just water please," Hitomi answered quietly, nibbling on a breadstick as she looked over the menu. She didn't want to order anything without Van being there. Anxiously, she glanced down at her watch again. 7:05 _Calm down Hitomi, he's just a little bit late._  
  
7:10  
  
7:20  
  
7:30  
  
7:40  
  
7:50  
  
8:00  
  
9:00  
  
10:00  
  
"I'm sorry Miss, but my manager says if you don't order something else besides water soon, we're going to have to ask you to leave," the waitress apologized, touching Hitomi lightly on the shoulder. Hitomi bit her lip to keep herself from crying out loud. _Why isn't he here? This is the right place, isn't it? I don't understand..._  
  
"Miss? Are you all right?"  
  
"I think I'm going to need a stronger drink."  
  


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Tiptoeing past the other tenant's doors as quietly as she could in high heels, Hitomi finally reached the apartment listed at the address she had taken out of the phone book. She knocked lightly, waited a few minutes, and was about to knock again when the door swung open to a very haggard looking Van. "What the...Hitomi? What are you doing..."  
  
Van's darkly circled eyes widened as he smacked his forehead. "Our date! Oh god, Hitomi, I'm so sorry. Were you waiting at the restaurant long?"  
  
"No, not really," Hitomi lied, thinking back on her napkin and the poor sap who was probably working out her knots in it at the moment. Van, still unsure of her answer, ruffled his hair absentmindedly as he stepped back. "Still, I don't know how to make it up to you...Oh! I'm such an idiot! Would you like to come in? Sorry for the mess..."  
  
Hitomi chortled at the sight of his spartan apartment; aside from a few strewn medical books, a worn table with worn chairs, and a couch that had seen better days. "What mess?"  
  
Grinning sheepishly, Van shuffled towards the kitchen. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm hardly ever here, and when I am, I mostly just sleep. I don't even have a TV. Merle always rags on me about that, especially when she comes over and wants me to watch her new 'favorite show', which of course changes every week. Right now it's something called American Idol...Anyways, do you want anything to drink?"  
  
Noticing Van was dead on his feet, Hitomi shook her head knowingly and pushed Van towards the living room. "How about I make us some coffee, and you can explain what happened to you tonight."  
  
"Sounds good to me..," Van agreed before yawning loudly and plopping down on the couch. Hitomi searched the cupboards until she found some small packs of coffee and poured them into the coffee maker. As she waited, she saw the different kitchen appliances scattered on the counter. "Van, do you cook?"  
  
"I used to," Van called back, "but now I don't have the time or the company to. I probably should sell all my cooking things, but I have this theory: Once you throw away something, you find yourself wanting it more and more."  
  
"I like that theory," Hitomi replied, handing him a steaming cup. "I usually don't drink coffee, so sorry if it tastes disgusting."  
  
Letting out a chuckle, Van assured her, "I'm a tea drinker myself but I'm all out. I'm surprised you found this; I think it was at last year's Christmas party that the hospital gave us all a gift basket full of these. Besides, I'm sure it's not that bad."  
  
He took a sip and immediately blanched. "Is this supposed to be Hazelnut?"  
  
"Irish Cream," Hitomi answered, amused at the look on his face. Van placed the cup on the ground by his feet. "Oh."  
  
There was an awkward silence for a couple of seconds until Hitomi began to stand up. "Well, I should probably go and let you get some rest..."  
  
"No!" Van suddenly shouted, catching Hitomi off-guard. "What I mean is, I haven't told you how beautiful you look in that outfit, or how sorry I am for tonight, or even where I was tonight!"  
  
Hitomi sighed as she reluctantly sat back down. "Okay, go ahead and tell me."  
  
"That mini-skirt you're wearing is driving me crazy..."  
  
"No, not that! Tell me where you were."  
  
"Ohhhh..," Van teased, feigning innocence. But then his joking vanished as he quietly told her, "Lia had to be put on a respirator."  
  
Jumping up, Hitomi asked frantically. "What happened? Is she okay?"  
  
Van massaged his temples and closed his eyes. "There was scar tissue building around her trachea, closing her windpipe. She was fine one moment, then she was gasping for air the next. I've always hated seeing people on respirators, because it seems that the last possible action they could do by themselves was stolen away. I don't think Lia wants to be like that. But Millerna said she should be okay, but if the problem gets worse, she'll operate in the morning. I wanted to stay, but..."  
  
"There was nothing you could do Van," Hitomi cooed, rubbing his hand. But he tensed up and exclaimed, "I know, and that's what's driving me crazy! I'm sorry, I shouldn't take it out on you. So, how was your day? Besides the part of me standing you up, I mean."  
  
Looking up at the ceiling nonchalantly, Hitomi thought back to what her day had been like. "Well, I woke up around 5 this morning to jog around the park, met up with my coach for new practice schedules..."  
  
The feeling of a weight upon her shoulder caused her to stop, and Hitomi looked down to find Van fast asleep, a little bit of drool already forming on his lip. She smiled as she went to get up, but Van wrapped his arms around her and muttered, "Stay with me..."  
  
_Is he dreaming? What should I do? I should go, but I don't want to. But then Yukari might wonder where I am in the morning when she comes to visit my apartment..._ Hitomi glanced again at Van, who had begun to snore. Groaning in resignation, Hitomi leaned against the couch. _Ah, to hell with it._

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The light peeking in from between the window blinds shone right into Hitomi's eyes, causing her to groan. She opened her eyes groggily and smacked her lips, until the scenery around her caused her sit up abruptly. She searched frantically for Van, until she checked her watch and saw how late it was. "Oh, he's probably already at the hospital."  
  
Combing out her tangled hair with her fingers, Hitomi sleepily made it the door and read the note taped to the back of it.  
  
_Hey,  
  
I didn't want to wake you up when I left, especially after last night. I made you breakfast; it's in the oven to keep warm. Help yourself to the coffee (I won't drink it any time soon) and anything else. I'll see ya later.  
  
-Van  
  
PS: You should probably wait until eleven or twelve before leaving, or people might see and get the wrong idea. Especially Mrs. Shubert in 3A. That woman gives me the creeps._  
  
Giggling, Hitomi trudged towards the kitchen, and gasped in surprise when she opened the oven door. There sitting on simple white plate, was a stack of pancakes with eggs and sausage to the side. She pulled out the plate in excitement, and after rummaging for a fork, managed to take a bite. She smiled in delight, knowing Van must have made an early grocery stop this morning, because she remembered that the cupboards were bare when she was looking for sugar for the coffee last night. She poured the newly bought bottle of syrup all over her plate, and moved to sit down at the table. She was halfway there when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Milk. I need milk."  
  
Sighing as she opened the refrigerator door, Hitomi couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably at the sight of fifty packs of Jello cups lining the shelves.  
  


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Hee hee, Van sure loves that Jello. But who can blame him? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...Jello... *huggles Van* Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...Van... 


	3. Once bitten bye, bye

Whee! Sankyu all for your nice reviews! So many... *is overwhelmed* BTW, sorry for the delay of this chapter, but thank CinderellaxVan for getting me to work on this again. *rubs bruises from where Cinderella 'persuaded' her* This chappie's for ya Ingrid!  
  
**Fushizen na:** Van is really a nurse. Really really. The reason for the summary is, "Doctor, I mean, NURSE Van" is because I thought most people would think Van as being a doctor, not a male nurse. It just wouldn't make sense to me that even though he was an orphan, he was able to get into medical school, though I'm not saying it couldn't happen. From what I know, you can get a degree in nursing at a community college, but I'm not sure. Sorry about the confusion. ^^;;  
**jess131346:** I'm mad? *is confuzzled* Like crazy mad, or I'm-going-to-kill-people-who-don't-like-my-story mad? Because I assure you, I'm not the latter at all. *whistles innocently as she hides the bodies of evil evil people*  
**Ruby:** Is Van that big of a pervert that he would do something to Hitomi when she slept over? *thinks for a minute* Yes, yes he would. But he was probably too tired to.  
**Hitomi-chan:** Does Van come across as being that perverted to everyone? It's because of the sponge bath scene, isn't it? But you got to remember, he was embarrassed to when his hand slipped.  
**Rai Dorian:** Yay! Glad to bring you over to the V/H side! LOL I'm not saying that D/H stories like yours are bad (far from it you talented author you).  
**Mystical Dreamer:** I would probably say they're all twenty-fivish? I really didn't give it much thought. And Hitomi probably realize that Van missing their date was an honest mistake.  
**Bellerein21: ** *blushes* Sankyu for the nice adjectives. And I agree, V and H forever and ever!  
**Dariel:** I know, I cried slightly when writing about Van and Merle's past, especially Merle's. I took my inspiration from a poignant book called "A Child Called It" (I think that's the right title). And just because of your worrying about poor Lia, I decided to include her in this chappie.  
**Esca-lover:** I probably would be more upset too, but you got to remember, this is Van. You can't be mad at him for too long. ;p  
**CinderellaxVan:** I thanked you last chappie, even though you didn't review it on ff.net. Hee hee, I don't know why you read this story still, you know what's going to happen already. *dances to the Apple a Day MP3 you gave her* ^^;;  
**luna:** I know! If that were the case, I would fake being sick! *cough cough*  
**SabineballZ:** Hee, I'm glad you like it ^^  
**Charlie:** Will do. ^_^  
**Paige Moonsword:** Aah! I can't believe you reviewed! *is so honored*  
**van lover:** Jello is gooooooooooooooooooooood. ^_^;;  
**Fae Rain:** Hee hee, I'm glad you liked it (sorry for being redundant, I'm tired ^^).  
**kindest reviewer:** Sorry for taking so long. This chapter ends on a cliffhanger too though ^^;;  
**SabrinaYutsuki:** Yay! *likes being on favorite lists*  
**Ria Fanel:** Isn't he though? *huggles Van plushie*  
  
I guess now that this is the best time to tell you guys that there will be a lemon (my first V/H one; WOOT!) in this story. But to keep it PG-13 for the innocent, this is the censored version. If you want to read the full NC 17 chapter, go to my bio to find the link (ff.net wouldn't let put it for some reason), and check out my Van and Hitomi shrine while you're at it, PWEASE?  
  


**An Apple A Day**

  
  
"You're late," Hitomi playfully admonished as Van came running up to her, breathing heavily. "For a minute there I thought you were going to bail on me again."  
  
"I'm never going to be able to live that down, am I?" Van groaned, rolling his eyes into the back of his head. Hitomi interlocked her arm with his and tugged it with a smile. "Maybe if you tell me why you wanted us to meet in the park, wearing shorts and a tee-shirt, I might just forget about it for today."  
  
Van brightened at the prospect and his eyes twinkled mysteriously. "All I can tell you is that, since it's a beautiful day out, I planned to jog with you over the hospital where I have a surprise for you."  
  
"You planned on jogging? With me?" Hitomi asked incredulously, looking at Van like he had gone crazy. Well, crazier for the most part. "You do remember what I won a gold medal for, right?"  
  
"Yeah, but I thought you would take it easy on a poor out of shape guy like me," Van joked, fluttering his eyelashes dramatically. Hitomi snorted, not at his antics, but at the fact that what he considered his 'out of shape' body was anything but. Even with his shirt on, Hitomi could see the outlines of the taunt muscles in his chest, and his well formed legs suggested that he could keep his own in the track department. _Well,_ Hitomi figured, _there's only one way to find out_, sticking her tongue out at Van as she took a headstart. Her action only took a second to register in Van's mind before he chased after her, shouting, "Hey! No fair!"  
  
Grinning in determination, Hitomi put on an extra burst of speed, the scenery flying past her. She thought she had outrun Van, which was why she was so surprised when he tackled her from behind onto the grass. He then began to thoroughly tickle her until her eyes watered and her sides ached. "Ahahaha...Van! Stop...hahaha....stop! Please! I'm sorr-Ha ha! No more!"  
  
Somehow, Hitomi managed to roll over and change positions with Van, and she smirked evilly. "Now it's my turn..."  
  
The words died on her lips as Van gazed intensely at her, his eyes turbulent with emotion. As he leaned up slowly, she closed her eyes reflexively as his mouth joined hers in a heated union. His kiss was warm and soft, and tasted salty, sweet, and fresh all at the same time; it tasted like Van.  
  
After a few seconds, Van broke away, almost regretfully it seemed, and made a pillow out of one arm for his head and used the other to bring Hitomi closer to his side. Ignoring the people who were probably staring at them for being out of breath and sprawled out on the grass, Hitomi snuggled into Van's chest, the sound of his heart beating furiously pounding in her ear. She listened to the rhythmic boom intently, and was drifting off to sleep when a gurgle coming from his stomach startled Hitomi. She looked up at Van curiously, and he confessed, "Sorry. I'm hungry."  
  
"Me too," Hitomi giggled, pushing off the ground to stand up, dusting grass clippings off the back of her shorts. Van soon followed suit, and grabbed her hand to pull her along. "C'mon, I know this great ice cream shop just ahead..."  
  
"Van?" A voice called behind them. Van turned and smiled brightly. "Millerna! What's up?"  
  
As the pretty blonde woman came up to them, Hitomi couldn't help but stiffen. This was the female doctor Van had always talked about? Hitomi couldn't help but feel jealous at their animated chatter, until Van gave her hand a squeeze. "Millerna Aston, this is Hitomi Kanzaki."  
  
Millerna's eyes lit up immediately. "Oh, so you're the one that tried to fend off Van and his sponge bath! I don't blame you, and I apologize, but we were really understaffed that day."  
  
Hitomi blushed deeply and glanced down at her feet. "I may have overreacted a little bit..."  
  
"Not at all. I would've complained about it too. Anyways, has he told you where he's taking you yet?"  
  
"Crap, I almost forgot! We'll have to take our ice cream to go," Van lamented, pouting comically. Millerna smirked and took Hitomi's hand. "Van, tell you what, how about Hitomi just tells you what she wants, and you'll bring it to her. Us girls need to talk for a little bit. As long as that's okay with you, Hitomi."  
  
"S-sure. Van, if they have chocolate chip cookie dough, I'll take that. If not, strawberry," Hitomi instructed, and watched Van run out of sight.  
  
"I've been meaning to find you and thank you."  
  
Shocked by the other woman's statement, Hitomi echoed in confusion, "Thank me? Why?"  
  
"I can tell it only took you a couple of weeks to notice what took me three years of working with him. Van tries to keep a happy face, but inside, he's hurting. You can see it in his eyes," Millerna stated sadly, leaning against a pole. "But with you, he seems truly happy, even if it is just temporary."  
  
"Millerna, I worry about him..," Hitomi admitted, chewing on her bottom lip. "Sometimes, he's laughing and smiling, and other times he's so quiet and serious, so much that I fear for him. I wonder which is the real Van, and whether or not it has to do with his brother's death."  
  
"Ah, so you know about that. No doubt it's definitely a factor. Van and I first met when I was finishing my last years of residency. After observing him in action, I offhandedly remarked that he should be a doctor instead of a nurse. He disagreed, pointing out that he didn't make enough money, especially because he was pay Merle's tuition as well as his own. 'Besides,' he explained, 'it's not that I have anything against doctors, but it seems that nurses interact and help the patient more. The more I help people, the more I hope to atone for what I did.' I had no idea what he had meant, until I found out about his past."  
  
"He blames himself for some reason," Hitomi concluded, sighing as she lounged on a park bench. Millerna nodded, and stood up straight as she saw Van approaching. "Can I trust you to find out why, Hitomi? Nobody knows, not even Merle. Well, I have to go. I'll see you guys later."  
  
"What did you guys talk about when I was gone? Was it me?" Van asked, presenting Hitomi with her ice cream and helping her to her feet. Hitomi bit her tongue and forced a smile for Van's benefit. "You know we were, but don't let it go to your head. By the way, just exactly what kind of ice cream is this?"  
  
Van snickered as Hitomi stared at his 'masterpiece'. "The bottom half is chocolate cookie dough, but then they ran out, so the top scoop is strawberry. Is that okay?"  
  
"Actually, it's pretty good. I should have it more often. Hey, I thought you were allergic to oranges," Hitomi mentioned, eyeing Van's orange and cream sherbet warily. Van chuckled and patted his pocket. "It's most likely artificial flavoring, but just in case, I have an epi-pen with me."  
  
"Is it that good?"  
  
"No, it's that DAMN good," Van stressed, nearly inhaling it. Hitomi did likewise to her cone , and the only sounds made between them was the two eating, until Van broke the air with a sort of nostalgic look on his face. "This just brought back the time when my brother Folken bought me one of these, but it was made from natural ingredients. That was the day that we also found out I was allergic to oranges...Hitomi, Merle told me that she explained to you about me...and my family. And I just wanted to...apologize for not telling you myself. Do you forgive me?"  
  
Stopping in her tracks, Hitomi stared incredulously at Van. _Did he just...Oh, Van...wait, what do I say...I...just..._  
  
"Hitomi?"  
  
"You have ice cream on your nose," Hitomi blurted out, and automatically covered her mouth with her hands. "That's-that's not what I meant...what I meant to say was...err..."  
  
Van cocked his brow at her, and then burst out laughing. "You know, you could've just said 'yes'. But thanks for the heads up about the nose thing."  
  
"No problem," Hitomi muttered, mentally slapping herself for being so stupid, but immediately brightened when she felt Van hesitantly take her free hand in his. She took it willingly, and giggled inwardly as Van swung it like a child.   
  
Hitomi never realized how close the park was to the hospital until they were walking through the front doors. Taking the last bite out of his cone, Van threw away the rest and covered Hitomi's eyes with his hands. "Okay, now I'm going to show your surprise, but no peeking."  
  
"Va-an, your hands are all sticky!"  
  
"Whiner. Fine, keep your eyes close real quick. There, is that better?"  
  
"Eww! Did you just lick your fingers?"  
  
"No, I just wiped them off with a napkin wet from a water fountain!"  
  
"Uh huh. Admit it, you licked them."  
  
"Do you want your surprise or not?" Van growled in her ear. Hitomi answered by kissing the nearest body part she could reach, to which Van responded, "You know, that was my eye."  
  
"Ooops, but it's not my fault I can't see. When are we going to be there?" Hitomi huffed, tired of being led in complete darkness. It wasn't until Van opened a large door that she could feel light, but she could hear birds singing as well. "Van, why are we back outside...?"  
  
"Van!! Hitomi!!"  
  
Finally Van removed her hands, and as her eyes adjusted to the light, Hitomi searched for who had called for them until her eyes laid on a person she never expected to see out in the hospital courtyard. "Lia? What are you doing here?!"  
  
"I get to go home today!" the girl exclaimed, running around, despite the complaints of her parents. Hitomi gasped, and grinned widely. "That's great and all, but why so soon?"  
  
Lia shook her head in a matter-of-fact way, looking very comical. "Hi-to-mi, I've been in here for over two months. I'm all better, isn't that right, Van?"  
  
Van nodded, bending down to ruffle Lia's hair. "That's right. After her surgery, Lia made an amazing recovery. She'll have to have checkups regularly, and have come back in a couple weeks to get some stitches taken out, but now she's officially outpatient."  
  
"Yep yep! I'm glad you made it Van. I was thinking you wouldn't show," Lia announced, pouting slightly. Van smiled stoically, and giving the girl a hug, assured, "Nah, I wouldn't miss saying goodbye to you."  
  
The girl then whispered something to Van that Hitomi couldn't hear, to which he laughed and nodded. Lia then went over to Hitomi, and handed over her medal. "I guess you want this back, huh?"  
  
Closing the girl's hands back around it, Hitomi suggested quietly, "Why don't you keep it?"  
  
Hesitantly for a second, Lia pushed the medal back. "No, because I promised to give it back when I'm better, and I'm better now, and I want to stay better, so I can win one of my own someday."  
  
Touched by the girl's maturity and spirit, Hitomi could only utter, "Lia..."  
  
"Thank you for everything. I think that because of the both of you and your generosities, Lia was able to recover faster," Lia's father stated, placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "And because of that, my wife and I are eternally grateful."  
  
"Bye bye Hitomi! Bye bye Van!" Lia called, waving her hand frantically. Hitomi waved back, and Van shouted back, "See ya later, kiddo!"  
  
Sighing happily as she observed Lia and her parents walk off, Hitomi leaned against Van. "I'm so glad she turned out all right."  
  
"Yeah," Van agreed, "but I can't say I'm not going to miss her. We all miss her, but that's the job. Somebody's gotta do it."  
  
Standing on her tiptoes, Hitomi placed a kiss on Van's forehead. "And I'm glad it's you."  
  
Before Hitomi could resume resting her head on his shoulder, Van grabbed her chin lightly and asked, "Hey, you can see now. Why do you keep missing?"  
  
Confused at what he meant first, Hitomi finally understood and kissed him fully on his lips, hungry for the taste ever since the first kiss she ever got from him. He was gentle, and never pushed her do anything, but when she opened her mouth for access, he gratefully took the chance. It was delirious, intoxicating; it made her head spin, and yet they both could never get enough. Unfortunately, the need to breathe broke them apart, and they plopped down under the nearest tree, the shade cooling them from the blazing sun. Wrapping Van's around her, Hitomi nuzzled her head into the nape of Van's neck, and questioned innocently, "Hey, what did Lia whisper to you?"  
  
"I was wondering when you were going to ask that," Van chuckled, making Hitomi's head bob. "She asked if she could be the flower girl at our wedding."  
  
Stiffening, Hitomi furrowed her eyebrows. "Are we that obvious?"  
  
Van rolled his eyes and teased, "Before or after we started making out in the hospital courtyard? You know, most couples reserve the janitor's closet for that sort of thing."  
  
After being playfully smacked by Hitomi (to which he feigned pain and claimed he had a bruise), Van explained, "I couldn't say 'no', because I didn't want to disappoint her. Sorry."  
  
"I'm not upset about it actually," Hitomi admitted, closing her eyes to slits. "Do you have to work today?"  
  
Searching through his pocket to look at his beeper, Van glanced at the screen quickly. "So far, I just have the night shift, which shouldn't be until a few hours. I probably should get some sleep."  
  
"Sounds good to me," Hitomi yawned, about to take that nap she was planning to have earlier. Before she drifted off, she glanced up at Van, who was already snoozing. _I think I'm in love with you, Van Fanel._  
  
Unbeknownst to the two, they were being watched from a window, which was currently bursting with giggles. "Oh my god, do you see that? They're so cute!"  
  
"Probably tired from all that 'exercise'."  
  
"Oh shush Merle. What, are you jealous?"  
  
"What? Me? No, of course not. Van's like a big brother to me, and I really like Hitomi, it's just that...I've never seen him this happy around anyone, not even me."  
  
"That's true love for you."  
  
"...I hope you're right Millerna. For both of their sakes, I hope you're right."  
  


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

  
  
As she came around the corner for her weekly visit, Hitomi couldn't help but notice an unusual crowd hanging around the burn center. Searching through the group, she called to a tuft of pink hair. "Merle!"  
  
"Hitomi! You won't believe what happened!" Merle cried, pushing through the people to get to the other woman. "There had been a fire, and V-van went back in to-"  
  
Merle didn't have a chance to finish her sentence before Hitomi dashed to the front of the group, only to be restrained by two firefighters. "Let me go!! Van's in there!! Van!! VAN!!"  
  
"I'm sorry ma'am, but this area is restricted. The fire has been extinguished, yet there's still heavy smoke. Don't worry, we have three of our men in there right now to get all the civilians out," one of the firefighters calmly explained, pushing her gently to the side. Hitomi stood there fearfully until she felt Millerna tap her on the shoulder. "Shh, Hitomi. I'm sure it'll be okay. Van wouldn't want you to be sad because of him."  
  
"Mi-ll-er-na..," Hitomi sobbed, collapsing to the floor. Millerna was stroking her hair and cooing softly when the door suddenly opened. Smoke poured into the hall, and Van stumbled out with an unconscious child in his arms, frowning at the tears in Hitomi's shocked eyes. "Hitomi, what's w-"  
  
Coughs that racked his ribs interrupted Van's question Millerna to stand up and take charge. "Put them both on oxygen and treat them for smoke inhalation. Anybody who is not essential, evacuate the building like you were told to a half hour ago. Now!"  
  
As he was forced into a wheel chair and an oxygen mask was pulled over his head, Van frantically grasped Hitomi's hands and mouthed 'Stay' as best as he could. Hitomi nodded, allow a small smile through her tears, jogging as he was being pushed down the hall, never letting go.  
  
And she was still holding Van's hand when he woke in a hospital bed. He was trying to remember when he passed out when he noticed Hitomi staring at him, her attempt to remain unruffled failing miserably. "H-hey."  
  
"Hey," Van croaked, trying not to wince in pain front of Hitomi, but she saw through his act and lost her composure, her teardrops gushing down her face. "Van...I was...so scared that...that I would never see you again..."  
  
Van brushed a wayward strand of hair out Hitomi's face, whispering in his hoarse voice, "I'm okay, don't worry..."  
  
Wiping her puffy eyes, Hitomi hiccuped and leaned over in awkward position into Van's embrace. Soon Van's gown was soaked from her tears, but neither of them cared as they lay there, grateful for each other's presence.  
  
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"  
  
"Geez Merle, can't you at least knock?" Van muttered as Hitomi shrunk back to her seat near his bed. The other girl was livid as she continued her tirade, "Stop joking around Van Slanzar de Fanel!! Just what the hell did you think you were doing?!"  
  
"Merle..," Hitomi started, but Van held up a hand. "I was looking out for the safety of my patients."  
  
Merle seemed to madden at Van's calm response, and raised her hand as almost to slap him. "At what cost Van?! If you died, who would care for them?! I could throttle you right now..."  
  
"But you won't, and instead will take Hitomi down to the food court," Millerna announced, coming up behind Merle and forcing the girl's hand down. Hitomi looked down at Van in hesitation, but after assuring herself he would be fine without her for a few minutes, wearily followed Merle. Van let out a gush of air; keeping up the appearance that he was fine had taken a lot out of his already deplenished strength. He watched Millerna flip through his chart, and weakly joked, "What's the diagnosis, doctor?"  
  
"Quite bad I'm afraid. It appears you have a case of heroitious, coupled with stubborniatic flu, and a quite full grown hardhead," Millerna grinned, placing the chart back on the foot of the bed. "Oh, and just a little touch of smoke inhalation, but nothing I'm sure you can't handle."  
  
Managing a slight chuckle, Van coughed painfully and asked, "Is there any mention of me being lovesick on there?"  
  
"Hrm, no, but I recognize the symptoms arising in you," Millerna continued the banter before adding in a more serious tone, "I also think you and anybody you're in close contact with have the risk of contracting a broken heart." "I get it, I get it. Merle's drilled it in my head enough today I think. I won't do anything like that again," Van sighed, running his fingers through his sweaty hair. Millerna shook her head and grabbed his forearm, staring into his eyes. "No, I don't think you get it Van. Not really. See, Merle and I are used to your antics, and we know this job is what drives you. Well, what used to drive you. But now, you have Hitomi, and your drive has changed. She's what your supposed to live for. Yes, we save lives, and we lose some too, but in the end, a job's a job. But Hitomi...Van do you get what I'm saying? It's so obvious that you both love each other, and I've never seen someone care about you like she does for you. She's worried about you, and frankly, Merle and I are too."  
  
"I'm fine," Van replied in a defensive tone, turning over to his side. "And I appreciate if you guys don't talk about me behind my back like that."  
  
Shaking her head, Millerna opened the door and stepped halfway out into the hallway. "Whatever Van. I'll see you later."  
  
As the door closed, it blocked light from the hallway, making the room grow dark. But he could still make out the swirls in the peach wallpaper as he mulled over what Millerna had just said. Love? Really? Did he love Hitomi?  
  
_Yes! Yes! YES!_ His mind screamed at him, causing Van to wince. Okay, now that he DEFINITELY knew he loved her, just what exactly did that mean?  
  
_..._  
  
He wasn't sure.  
  


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

  
  
For the millionth time, Van tugged on his shirt collar, feeling it grow tighter it with every passing minute. He probably should pay attention to what the guy at the podium was saying, since it did concern him after all, but the man droned on and on. He peered out into the front audience, shaking in silent mirth as Merle's eyes drooped and Millerna's new blonde boyfriend pull a sly one by yawning and placing his arm behind her, only to have it pushed back into his lap. Van then looked at Hitomi, and was taken back on how stunning she looked in the backless evening dress whose material formed to her body like a glove and matched her sparkling green eyes. She noticed him looking at her, and smiled earnestly up at him, causing his heart to thump hard in his chest. He now wished he was able to drive to the award ceremony with her, but he had insisted on working his assigned shift today, making all his rounds in a rented tuxedo. Thankfully, nothing too messy had occurred, but he did receive a few laughs, as well as a few flirtations. But he ignored them all, his mind only on tonight and seeing Hitomi, and as soon as he got this award, he'd rush right over to her. Finally, the hospital director finished his speech and introduced Van, "And now, the hero of the hour, Van Slanzar de Fanel everyone!"  
  
Shaking the director's hand, Van accepted the award and stood in front of the audience, feeling slightly embarrassed, but with the quiet encouragement emanating from Hitomi he was able to speak, "First off, I'd like to thank Mr. Fassa and the rest of the Board of Directees for this award. Second, I'd like thank the firefighters, who probably should deserve this award more than I do. They did their job, and thankfully, no one was seriously hurt. I know this award is supposed to congratulate me for my heroism, but to tell you the truth, what I did was not exactly wrong but foolhardy. Again, I thank the firefighters who helped me through the smoke to get my patients out; if not for them, I don't think I would be standing in front of you all today. Most people in similar cases would most likely say that their life was flashing in front of their eyes, but for me, my mind was only focusing on three things: my patients, my fellow colleagues and friends, and my Hitomi."  
  
Admist the applause, Van searched for Hitomi's face to see the surprise registered on there. Truth be told, he was shocked himself that he had said the last part, but slowly grinned, now glad he did. Their eyes were locked for a few minutes, and Van barely heard the director announcing that everybody should feel free and eat dinner now, despite the fact that man was right next to him. Resisting the urge to jump off the stage, Van trotted down the stage steps, and before Hitomi could offer him a glass of wine she had got from one of the trays being passed around, he kissed her deeply, flashes from photojournalist's cameras going off around them. Hitomi's then moved up towards Van's ear as she whispered, "Mind telling me what that was for?"  
  
"You're beautiful," Van responded, now taking the glass of wine she had offered him earlier. Sipping it slowly, Van placed his hand on the small of Hitomi's back and ushered her near the closest doors, only to be stopped by the hospital director. "Van! Is this the lovely lady you were just mentioning up there?"  
  
"Hitomi, this is Mr. Fassa, the director of the hospital," Van explained. The director took Hitomi's hand and kissed it, chuckling, "Please, just call me Meiden. 'Mr. Fassa' makes me sound old, though I probably am, ha ha! So, Van, are you and Hitomi going to stay and enjoy your dinner?"  
  
"Unfortunately, we already have a prearranged appointment," Van answered, causing Hitomi to glance u at him in question, to which Van's eyes seemed to say _'Trust me.'_ Meiden winked at them and let them pass. "In that case, better let the two of you get going. It's a shame you can't stay, but I understand."  
  
Thanking Meiden again, Van gently pushed Hitomi out of the banquet room, much to her protest. "Van wait! I have to put down the glasses!"  
  
"Just leave them on the table near the door; the staff will take care of them. By the way, who's Millerna's new boytoy?" Van asked nonchalantly as he guided Hitomi down the hallway, which was practically empty due to the time of night. Van didn't particularly like the blush that flashed on Hitomi's cheeks as she tittered, "Who, Allen? He was so great when he drove us all here, telling us stories of his old lacrosse team, the Crusaders. And he not only opened Millerna's door for her, but Merle's and mine too. In fact, after dinner, he had invited us out to coffee."  
  
Gulping to get rid of the growing lump in his throat, Van tried to hide the twinge of jealousy in his voice as he dryly commented, "Maybe you should go back with him then."  
  
"If I had wanted to go with them instead, don't you think I would've told you already? I mean, hanging out with Allen, Millerna, and Merle would be nice and all, but I much more interested in this 'prearranged appointment' you claim we have," Hitomi assured him, planting a chaste kiss on his mouth. It would've been longer if not for the interruption provided by the rumbling of Hitomi's stomach. "Though I do wish we at least stayed for dinner. I'm starving."  
  
"I'm hungry too," Van replied huskily, his warm breath tickling her ear. Hitomi was about to suggest getting something to eat when she noticed the smoldering heat in his eyes and realized they were talking about two different things. The first thought that came to her mind was _Too soon!_, but then she really considered how long she had know Van. It had been nearly three months since the 'incident' where the two met, eleven weeks since they were supposed to go on their first date, ten weeks since Van made up for their first date (he had taken her to her favorite Japanese grill, Sakura), five weeks since their walk in the park, three weeks since the fire, one week since he was released from the hospital, and 2 seconds since she had last kissed him. Despite her knowledge of all this, it felt like Hitomi had known Van forever. He must've sensed her discomfort, for he sighed before offering, "There's a little cafe down the street..."  
  
Hitomi smiled coyly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll have whatever you're having."  
  
Grinning wickedly, Van continued to lead through hallways which became increasingly less empty, until there was no one but the two left. Finally, Van dug out of his pockets to unlock the door in front of them, to which Hitomi crinkled her nose. "A hospital room? That's sort of..."  
  
Laughing to himself, Van opened the door to reveal a modestly furnished room. "Relax. These are the rooms that the hospital lets family of patients sleep in, sort of like a hotel, except this week hardly sees any customers. Of course, we can go someplace else."  
  
"I'm just glad it's not a janitor's closet," Hitomi mumbled, and then pulled down on Van's head to give him a kiss. He groaned, and without his lips leaving hers, muttered, "Wait, let me lock the door first."  
  


- - - - - Where Cut Sex Scene Would Be - - - - 

  
  
Although she wanted the feeling to last forever, Hitomi knew that soon people, specifically Millerna and Merle, would be wondering where they both where. But her heart screamed at the thought of either one leaving the other one, and so Hitomi thought frantically of a way to stall for time.  
  
Suddenly remembering the scars Merle had told her about, Hitomi hesitantly questioned, "Van? Can I see your back?"  
  
Without a word, he rolled over, providing Hitomi with a full view of his backside. They were there, deep marks in his tanned skin. She trailed her finger around them, causing him to flinch. Hitomi grew alarmed and sat up slightly. "I'm sorry! Did that hurt?"  
  
Van shook his head, his words muffled by the pillow. "No. It's just that I'm not used to anyone but doctors touching them."  
  
Relaxing, Hitomi slid back down on the bed. "Well, I think they're beautiful."  
  
" 'Beautiful'?" Van repeated ruefully, staring at the wall as Hitomi continued to trace the scars. She sighed blissfully as she leaned against him. "Uh-huh. They remind me of angel wings."  
  
A hollow sound erupted from Van's throat, and Hitomi struggled to recognize what it was until she realized he was laughing. But it wasn't the carefree chuckles that she relished in every time; no, this was cold, grating, and self-deprecating. "I'm not an angel. Far from it. And they're not beautiful. They're ugly. I'm ugly."  
  
"No! You're not!" Hitomi shouted in shock as Van slid his feet off the bed, still not facing her. "Yeah, I am. Truth is, if not for my brother Folken, I wouldn't have them. I'd be dead. But because of me, my brother's dead. And my parents are dead."  
  
Hitomi reached out for him, but he stood up and slammed the palm of his hand against the wall. "Don't you get it! They're dead! And I killed them! Oh god I killed them!"  
  
Jumping off the bed, Hitomi clung to him, yelling, "Van, Van, what are you saying?!"  
  
"My...my best friend at the time...Dilandau....he gave me them...the matches...and I...then the house...so hot," Van finally sobbed, collapsing to the ground. Hitomi couldn't help but gasp, but tried to hide it as Van turned towards her, grabbing her shoulders as he continued, "I've been such a coward. I've been telling myself for the last couple of years that it was an accident, but...but why? Why did they die and I live?"  
  
Wincing at the pain of Van's fingernails digging into her skin was the last thing Hitomi wanted to do, but Van noticed it and quickly dropped his arms to the sides, his eyes downcast as he stood up. "I cause suffering to all those I get close too. My parents. My brother. And now you, Hitomi, the only woman I've ever loved."  
  
Haphazardly redressing, Van then looked at the glistening tears in Hitomi's, and smiled dispiritedly. "You don't deserve this."  
  
"Are you saying I don't deserve you?" Hitomi cried, struggling to grab his hand. "Answer me! Do you think I don't deserve you?!"  
  
Opening the door solemnly, Van replied coldly, "No, Hitomi. You just don't deserve to be hurt by me."  
  



End file.
